Sheila's gift of hope

A York charity fundraiser who died of cancer has left a vital legacy helping others combat the disease.

Retired Terrys manager Sheila Dalton, of Rawcliffe, lost her battle with lung cancer last year, leaving a £45,000 bequest.

Sheila supported charities like us and St Leonard’s Hospice and had help from them during her illness, using YAC’s respite property in Whitby and being cared for by the hospice.

Now her grateful family is sharing her legacy between them and similar good causes.

Sheila’s niece Susie Brindley said she and her fellow beneficiaries gave £10,000 to ourselves and £20,000 to St Leonard’s, as well as further donations to Macmillan Cancer Support and to others including a charity helping bereaved parents buy gravestones.

“We know this is just what Sheila would have wanted,” said Susie.  “She was a very active fundraiser.”

Susie said that wherever possible, the beneficiaries had made their donations through friends who were charity fundraisers.

They presented York Against Cancer’s cash to Geoff and Nora Hunter, two friends of Sheila who hold an annual ball for us. The £10,000 donation was a highlight of the 2017 event, which itself raised £1,220, making a total of £12,220.

St Leonard’s benefited through Nicky Howard, a friend of Susie’s who is raising money for them, and both local charities received further cash from the legacy because £5,000 of it was used to sponsor a tough 170-mile bike ride from Morecambe to Bridlington led by Mary Weastell, chief executive of City of York Council. A prostate cancer charity also benefited from that event.

 “The response to our decision has been absolutely overwhelming,” said Susie. “We love that it has made a difference not just to the charities but to people personally and all in Sheila’s memory.

“Sheila was very vivacious – really fun. She was very family-oriented, and loved to be surrounded by people eating and drinking. She was at Geoff and Nora’s ball last year so it seemed the right thing to do.

“When we said we were giving £10,000 in her name it caused a stir. Apparently there were tears, because she would have been in the middle of that party.”

Geoff said they had been deeply touched by the gesture from Sheila’s family. “It’s totally amazing that this has happened,” he said. “Sheila was a lovely lady and she came to the ball every year – she loved to dance!”

Julie Russell, our general manager, said the charity was moved by news of Sheila’s legacy. “It’s wonderful that Sheila’s relatives have thought of us in this way, and the donations are a really fitting memorial to her,” she said.